Racial Injustice In Othello Essay

Is there a coincidence we have organizations which lobby for racial equality, and see examples of racial injustice in William Shakespeare’s Othello? We are introduced to Othello who is of a Northwestern African descent. Not only is he a foreigner, but he held the position as a general representing the Venetian forces which carried nobility and respect. However, Othello’s ethnicity in a world run by white men, causes him to face an abundance of opposition and people who work for him to despise him for many reasons. During this time period it was uncommon for an outsider who was from Northwestern Africa to be in power or have as much wealth as Othello. Othello was sophisticated and very knowledgeable, but he was constantly skinned by society …show more content…
This paper will focus on Othello’s two different personas as it relates to how Othello is cynical.
Othello being the center of the plot, the first conflict he encountered was when Iago and Roderigo put light on Othello’s secret relationship with Brabantio’s daughter, Desdemona. In the scene Iago and Roderigo never mentioned Othello’s name when revealing his secret: “you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse.” (1.1.107-108). Iago used “Barbary horse” which is a unique breed from northwest Africa to shows that society perceives Othello as an animal and a tool. However, calling a general a horse is not the proper way to demonstrate respect. The significance of this situation is the way Othello reacts and speaks upon this issue. Those who work with Othello do not show respect behind his back or think much of him for the services he provides, but regardless Othello showed them respect. Looking closely at Othello’s conversations when he puts himself in charge to defuse the situation in Act one, Scenes two. In this scene Othello he is confident, understands his …show more content…
He was one a calm and refined man who would take altercations easily but still showed signs at the end of the play, but as society was set against him and in due course changed who Othello was. Othello’s actions show that he acted out of anger and false information, not comprehending accurately what is going on in the surroundings. If society were to accept that everyone is indifferent, then the climax of the play may have been different. We see society was leveraged against Othello to keep themselves safe and take advantage of the services he provides. This issue can be followed with what is going on today, will those abusing others stop? Or will history repeat